UNDP Pakistan

Abstract/Description

In collaboration with the UNDP Pakistan, a panel discussion on “Sustainable Development: Inequality and Inclusive Growth” took place amongst Mr. Knut Ostby, Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA, Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, and Dr. Waqar Masood, SAPM on Revenue. The session was moderated by Asim Sajjad Akhtar. Mr. Knut Ostby said, “As one of the first countries to pledge its commitment to the 2030 Agenda on the SDGs, Pakistan understands the simple truth that equality is the cornerstone of sustainable development”. Mr. Ostby added that the Asia-Pacific region has witnessed the steepest rise globally in human development, but at the same time the region continues to grapple with wide-spread, multidimensional poverty. Dr. Zaidi added that poverty is much easier to address as compared to inequality. “All data prior to Covid-19 shows that the poverty rate fell remarkably in South Asia, however, what it does not show is that the inequality rate also increased a great deal. So whenever there has been economic growth, rather than development, there has been a rise in inequality.” Dr. Waqar Masood said, “Inclusive growth is mainly about reducing poverty. However, growth should also be focused on women, youth and rural populations so that they can join the race and benefit from the growth.” Talking about the contribution of the Ehsaas Programme, Dr. Sania Nishtar remarked that the program is linked with the theory of change, and not a mere rebranding of BISP. She mentioned that a ministry was created to consolidate all the federal entities, covering the digital infrastructure which helped during the COVID-19 cash roll out. Ayesha Khan, Senior Researcher at Collective for Social Science Research and Author “The Women’s Movement in Pakistan: Activism, Islam and Democracy” also joined the presentation to talk about the women rights in the country. The session ended with an interactive Q & A from faculty and researchers from universities all over the country.

Session Type

Panel Discussion

Session Moderator

Aasim Sajjad Akhter - Associate Professor of Political Economy, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad

Panelists

  • Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, Institute of Business Administration, Karachi
  • Dr. Waqar Masood, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Revenue, Minister of State and Former Secretary Finance, Government of Pakistan
  • Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation
  • Ms. Naheed Shah Durrani, Secretary Ministry of Climate Change
  • Ms. Ayesha Khan, Senior Researcher at Collective for Social Science Research and Author “The Women’s Movement in Pakistan: Activism, Islam and Democracy”

Event Website

https://esdcber.iba.edu.pk/

Start Date

3-4-2021 11:00 AM

End Date

3-4-2021 1:00 PM

Comments

Welcome Address: Mr. Knut Ostby, Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan

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Apr 3rd, 11:00 AM Apr 3rd, 1:00 PM

Human Development and Inequality - Panel Discussion II with UNDP Pakistan

In collaboration with the UNDP Pakistan, a panel discussion on “Sustainable Development: Inequality and Inclusive Growth” took place amongst Mr. Knut Ostby, Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA, Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, and Dr. Waqar Masood, SAPM on Revenue. The session was moderated by Asim Sajjad Akhtar. Mr. Knut Ostby said, “As one of the first countries to pledge its commitment to the 2030 Agenda on the SDGs, Pakistan understands the simple truth that equality is the cornerstone of sustainable development”. Mr. Ostby added that the Asia-Pacific region has witnessed the steepest rise globally in human development, but at the same time the region continues to grapple with wide-spread, multidimensional poverty. Dr. Zaidi added that poverty is much easier to address as compared to inequality. “All data prior to Covid-19 shows that the poverty rate fell remarkably in South Asia, however, what it does not show is that the inequality rate also increased a great deal. So whenever there has been economic growth, rather than development, there has been a rise in inequality.” Dr. Waqar Masood said, “Inclusive growth is mainly about reducing poverty. However, growth should also be focused on women, youth and rural populations so that they can join the race and benefit from the growth.” Talking about the contribution of the Ehsaas Programme, Dr. Sania Nishtar remarked that the program is linked with the theory of change, and not a mere rebranding of BISP. She mentioned that a ministry was created to consolidate all the federal entities, covering the digital infrastructure which helped during the COVID-19 cash roll out. Ayesha Khan, Senior Researcher at Collective for Social Science Research and Author “The Women’s Movement in Pakistan: Activism, Islam and Democracy” also joined the presentation to talk about the women rights in the country. The session ended with an interactive Q & A from faculty and researchers from universities all over the country.

https://ir.iba.edu.pk/esdcber/2021/day2/28